The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-09-22

yellow and mllder kinds.
8. Tobacco differs greatly from
and other grains and fruits iCorn
sessing but little saccharine mattolp oS'
other properties such as starch. wb;o or
is convertible into sugar, which Dt I'll
fermentation produces alcohol MY
nicotine in tobacco is unaffected ne
temperature in the curing process on ~
therefore remains UNCHANGED
4. The chemical laboratory has
tied this question as stated, and exnor;
ments on the farm must decide wE;ai
type Of tobacco and what moJa
culture, curing and management VII
produce the staple with the Iaoat
amount Of nicotine. "''
5. The process of harvestino A..
leaves Of the tobacco plant as tIns,
ripen, by stringing them on twine w
wire preparatory to curing, is not at
all new, but was practiced bv tho
planters in colonial times, when tho
bulk Of the product was cured without
artificial heat, 4. e. dried by sun and
air.
That this mode has not been adhorod
to generally since, is evidence ratbor
against it, as the best and cheanest
mode of harvesting tobacco. Norcan
it be claimed for the product of fields
subjected to this mode, as still nrac,
ticed in some of the States, that #
contains less nicotine than is found in
the leaves of plants cut entire bv
splitting the stalk and curing rapidly
by fues.
But it is a fact known to some Of
the best planters, that the process Of
curing tobacco by fues developes and
fixes IN the leaves the greatest amount
Of sugar, while the diffusion of nico.
tine from the stalk into the leaves is
prevented thereby drying the leaf with
the least amount of nicotine or emmy.
reumatic oil.
The process of curing with SLOW
open wood fires the dark rich gummv
export type, is promotive of abstract.
ing the volatile properties of the plant
contained in the stalk by diffusion into
the leaves, consequently causing them
to hold a larger per centage of nico-
tine.
This is proved by the analysis Of
of "Virginia shipping" leaf, which
contains 4.39 per cent. of nicotine
while the Upright yellow" type con-
tains only go per cent. thereof.
BY the process of curing bright to-
bacco with fues, there is little or no
absorption of nicotine from the stalk
of whole plants, as by the slow air
curing or open fire process. This,
however, is the accepted opinion and
is not based upon actual experiment.
1t may be true as claimed by some,
that more nicotine is evolved from the
stalks of plants cured whole and diff
fused into the leaves, than is to be in
the leaves pulled green from the stalks.
This question is easily settled by
analysis, and until this is done, this
scribe expresses no definite opinion on
this point.
"A pertinent question suggests itself
right here. Who wants tobacco
wholly destitute Of nicotine? the sub
stance beyond all others which giTes
to tobacco it's peculiar and enticlng
characteristic. Tobacco without nico,
tine would be like spirits or fermented
liquors without alcohol. Whence
would come demand for either, if such
could be had :?
This writer ventures the prediction
that there will never be offered to the
trade any type or grade of tobacco
destitute of nicotine and if such were
possible, there would be no demand
for a weed destitute of the exhilarat-
ing, soothing and satisfying effects OF
nicotine.
The late Doctor Voelcker character
lied the yellow tobacco of Virginia
and North Carolina, cured with fues,
leaves cured upon the stalks, as not
only the most pleasant to use, but the
healthiest of all the types. Not be.
cause it contained the least amount OIL
nicotine, but because the small amount
Of this substance contained therein
was greatly neutralized and modltea
by other substances impaired by varl'
ETY., soil and peculiar mode of curing
1t will give me pleasure to nave the
views of other experienced planters Oh
the subject, whose Investigations nave
eliminated facts corroborative OF o.
antagonistic to those candidly but I'M
perfectly given. Let us have Inc